Tablet Specs & Preferences

Many people stress technical specs as being the most important factor when shopping for a tablet (or smartphone). However, this thinking doesn't apply as much anymore. For example, consumers were trained to think that a computer/tablet/smartphone with a 2.8 GHz processor must be faster and more powerful than than one clocked at 2.4GHz. This is simply not the case. (Shameless plug for my blog entry: The Megahurtz Myth)

The same goes for pixel density. You can build an LCD with "a million more pixels than the iPad", but does that mean it's going to have a better picture? Nope. In fact, not only is the higher (than retina) density not noticeable, it is probably a cause of unnecessary battery drain.

The same also goes for battery size/density. You can have an Android phone with a battery that has 5x more mAh than iPhone, but if the horrible bloated OS sucks up the mAh's 10x faster, who won?

This is why I stress the importance of software. iOS is more polished, consistent, reliable, battery friendly, and safer than Android.

Shoppers look at the higher price of an Apple tablet/smartphone and exclaim, "Apple tax!" "You can get a tablet with better specs for hundreds less!" When you pay more for an Apple tablet, you're paying for the durable aluminum body, the superior OS, and access to apps that are usually more polished and reliable than their Android counterparts. Their customer support is also superior. Try taking your broken HTC Android phone to an HTC store. Oh wait, they don't exist. Also, Apple products hold their value much, much better than competitors. I bought my iPhone 5 brand new for $500 over a year ago. They still go for $400-$500 used. That would be extremely rare or will never happen for Android devices.

So, factors for me in order of importance:

1) Operating system.

2) Build quality.

3) Battery life. (Dependent in part on #1)

4) Resale value.

5) Price.